Colby McLaughlin, inset, has been jailed for eight years after an horrific baseball attack that left the victim in the River Freshney

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A violent teenager - apparently with a 'heart of gold' - who viciously attacked a terrified man with a baseball bat has been locked up for eight years.

He mercilessly beat up the man, leaving the victim in fear of his life and with blood all over him, after a long-running vendetta, a court heard.

The victim was hit so many times that he ended up falling over a wall and into the River Freshney.

Colby McLaughlin, 18, of Haven Avenue, Grimsby, admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent to a man on June 10.

He also admitted assaulting a woman in a separate incident on May 29 and wounding another woman in a third attack on October 8.

Accomplice and family member Garry McLaughlin, 26, of Eskdale Way, Grimsby, admitted causing grievous bodily harm to the same man on June 10 and assaulting him, causing actual bodily harm, on February 17.

He was jailed for three years.

Colby McLaughlin has been jailed for eight years for an horrific baseball attack

Andrew Bailey, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that the attacked man used to go out with a woman but it was an on-off relationship and she was also seeing Garry McLaughlin.

This caused the McLaughlins to pursue a vendetta against the man.

On February 17, he was coming home from a night out when they jumped out of a car in Cooper Road, Grimsby.

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Colby McLaughlin took hold of him and Garry McLaughlin got on to his chest as the man was on the ground and repeatedly punched him to the face with full force.

"They got back into the car and drove off," said Mr Bailey.

On May 29, there was another confrontation with the same man outside a Grimsby pub and Garry McLaughlin got out of a car and launched himself at him.

The man managed to step out of the way and punched McLaughlin in self-defence before running off, pursued by both men.

The man's girlfriend went inside the pub to retrieve her jacket but, back outside, Colby McLaughlin ran towards her and deliberately barged into her forcefully "like a rugby player" - sending her flying into the air and hitting the ground hard.

On June 10, Colby McLaughlin got out of a car holding a baseball bat and ran at the same man, hitting him in the face with it.

The man tried to escape and ran down a side street off Lord Street, Grimsby, but Garry McLaughlin followed him on foot.

Colby McLaughlin got back in the car and followed him.

He caught up with him and attacked him with the bat, striking him to the head and body numerous times, including while he was on the ground.

"There was blood all over him," said Mr Bailey.

Garry McLaughlin was jailed for three years at Grimsby Crown Court

Colby McLaughlin attacked him for a third time with the bat, hitting him about the head, ribs and knee caps. He was hit so many times that he ended up falling over a wall into the River Freshney.

Garry McLaughlin did not actually physically attack the victim but he encouraged it, said Mr Bailey.

The man suffered serious injuries including a wound to the back of the head, fractured ribs and wounds to his arms, which seemed deformed, and forehead.

The man said in a statement: "I have lasting injuries. I am now in fear of my life.

"I don't know who is going to turn up in a car and get out and assault me. I lost my job because of my broken ribs.